Manziel took to Instagram to issue an apology.
Johnny Manziel issues statement following no-show at College GameDay originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
ESPN’s College GameDay made a last-minute change to its plans Saturday morning when former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel failed to appear for his scheduled guest picker segment ahead of the College Football Playoff first-round matchup between Texas A&M and Miami.
Johnny Manziel issues statement following College GameDay no-show
The broadcast, live from College Station, replaced Manziel with two-time NBA champion and former Aggie basketball player Alex Caruso. Host Rece Davis announced the change shortly before the show began.
Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, was seen Friday night ringside at the Joshua–Paul fight in Miami. Although ESPN did not provide an official reason for his absence, multiple outlets reported the timing of his appearance at the fight may have contributed to his no-show.
On Sunday, Manziel addressed the situation in a statement posted to social media, apologizing to ESPN, Texas A&M, and fans for missing the appearance.
“There is almost nothing on this earth that would have made me miss that game,” Manziel wrote. “To ESPN, Pat [McAfee], Coach, Desmond and the entire crew on GameDay, I apologize — it was out of my control. To the Aggies and A&M fan base, I’m sorry... I’m recovering and feeling about a 3/10, going to rest up and try and get back to normal.”
Former Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel apologizes on his Instagram story for missing his appearance as the designated guest picker for ESPN’s “College GameDay” yesterday and says it was out of his control. Former A&M men’s basketball star Alex Caruso filled his place. pic.twitter.com/GM4czUSx4Y
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) December 21, 2025
Manziel added that he plans to speak more about what happened in the days ahead and thanked fans who reached out to check on him. Texas A&M played its first-round playoff game as scheduled with no Manziel appearances. The Miami Hurricanes defeated the Aggies 10-3 in a game with no touchdowns scored by Texas A&M.
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